With an ongoing increase of fishing in fishing grounds, the question of efficient utilization of fish meat has acquired pressing urgency. In particular, the acquisition of good-tasting fish meat plays a large role in this question. Included in this category is the muscular neck meat of the fish. Up to now, conventional methods largely dictate that this section of meat be separated from the trunk of the fish collectively with the head and channeled for non-human consumption. For this reason, ways of extracting the neck meat from the neck region of severed fish heads have already been sought. In conventional processing methods, the neck meat remains on the fish head. To economically recover such neck meat, the neck meat must be separated from the head by machine, without adding expensive supplementary devices to the conventional machines that are used to separate the fish head from the trunk of the fish.
One prior known method of separating the neck meat from a severed fish head requires complicated mechanical features to properly orient the fish head relative to adjustable blades that cut off the neck meat. Relatively complicated controlled guiding processes are required to direct the fish head and blades into a proper position for separating the neck meat.
Specifically, a suitable separating machine is used for the purpose of cutting off the fish head. This machine separates the fish head from the trunk and guides the fish head to a special machine for separating the neck meat. This machine links up downstream with the separating machine and uses electronic guidance processes to direct the cutting tools into a properly suited cutting position for cutting off the neck meat. Such complementary pieces of equipment are expensive due to the guidance processes used and beyond that, they have the distinct disadvantage of obstructing the movement of the person operating the separating machine. The operator is restricted in his actions due to limitations on his access to the machine for which he must, by trade, normally assume monitoring responsibility. The effectiveness of the work force deployed using this prior art system is considerably reduced.
The task of the present invention is, therefore, to improve upon the process and on the device initially described such that the operator of the separating machine is not restricted in the degree of his activities.